Samson family collection
Extent and Medium
folders
4
Creator(s)
- Samson family
Biographical History
Amelia Samson (1875-1945) lived in Amsterdam along with her daughter Marie, son-in-law Barand, and grandchildren Clara and Maurice. During the German occupation, the family hid with friends, while Barand participated in the underground resistance. Eventually discovered, the family was transported to Westerbork transit camp. Barand was transported to another camp and was killed. From September 1943 to April 1944, the family was interned at Westerbork before being sent to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Amelia died while at Bergen-Belson in March of 1945. Marie and her children were then transported on the infamous “last transport” train and ended up in Tröbitz, Germany, where they were liberated by the Soviet army in April of 1945. Emilia Fluck, daughter of Amelia and sister of Marie, lived in Cheltenham, England and kept in communication with both through the means of letters sent by the Red Cross up until 1944.
Archival History
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Acquisition
Clara McCarthy donated this collection to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on July 13, 1999.
Scope and Content
The Samson family collection contains correspondence between Esther Fluck, in Cheltenham, England, and her mother and sister, Amelia Samson and Marie Samson-Blik, while the latter were living in the Netherlands during the German occupation. The correspondence is mainly in the form of letters sent via the Red Cross, and cover the period between 1940 and 1944. Other correspondence includes letters from the British Foreign Office to Esther, dating from 1964-1966, and giving her instructions on how to collect reparations for the death of her mother at Bergen Belsen. The Samson family collection contains correspondence between Esther Fluck, in Cheltenham, England, and her mother and sister, Amelia Samson and Marie Samson-Blik, while the latter were living in the Netherlands during the German occupation. The correspondence is mainly in the form of letters sent via the Red Cross, and cover the period between 1940 and 1944. The letters are initially between Amelia and Esther, and then later between Marie and Esther, due to Amelia becoming ill. These letters were sent to Amelia’s address in Amsterdam, and later to the Westerbork transit camp, where the family was subsequently interned. Other correspondence includes letters from the British Foreign Office to Esther, dating from 1964-1966, and giving her instructions on how to collect reparations for the death of her mother at Bergen Belsen, a letter sent by Marie to Esther prior to Marie’s post-war departure for the United States, and an undated photograph of Amelia, her daughter Marie and son-in-law Barand Blik, and her grandchildren Clara and Maurice.
System of Arrangement
The Samson family collection is arranged as a single series.
People
- McCarthy, Clara Blik, 1937-
- Samson, Amelia, 1875-1945.
- Blik, Marie Samson.
- Blik, Barand.
- Blik, Maurice, 1939-
Corporate Bodies
Subjects
- Jews--Netherlands--Amsterdam.
- Tröbitz (Germany)
- Holocaust--Jewish (1939-1945)--Netherlands--Westerbork.
- World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--Netherlands--Westerbork.
- Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Genre
- Photographs.
- Document
- Correspondence.